Hi, Im curious how loud these Montana (not Nashville) Flatirons are? Thanks folks.
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Hi, Im curious how loud these Montana (not Nashville) Flatirons are? Thanks folks.
are you worried about the integrated part that connects fingerboard extension to spruce top? Lots of threads about that
Hard to generalize, i think the first Montana archtops were 1983, and they continued making them into the 90's (at least). Look up the youtube interview videos by Ren Ferguson (there's at least a couple) for some company history
I have a couple. They are surprisingly loud. One of the gents at Elderly called my first one “a little cannon”. I like them.
I have a 1994 and it is plenty loud.It is louder now that I stripped it and refinished it.It was in bad shape and one day I spilled shellac on it.The old finish fell right off with paint remover.Quote:
Originally Posted by lespaul_79
I had one for years as my backup. It wasn't as loud as my F5G but then again I didn't have the same gauge strings on it. It was still plenty loud.
Like it almost always is, the matter comes down to the individual instrument. Fifteen/twenty years ago there was a really hot band from Montana making the rounds here in the Northwest. When I first saw them in concert, I was disappointed in how puny the Flatiron-F mandolin sounded (I could hardly hear the mandolin solos, let alone any mandolin back-up). As I strained to listen, the mandolinist sounded like he was playing some really cool stuff, so I purchased their CD just so I could hear the mandolin. Unfortunately the CD was no better than the concert in terms of the pitiful mandolin volume (and tone).
Over the next few years, I would catch the group in concert and at contra dances, always with the same disappointing tiny-mandolin sound (same Flatiron F), despite the mandolinist’s excellent playing. Once I considered telling him that his playing was wonderful, but that no one would ever know that, unless he got himself a different mandolin (decided that this, coming from a stranger, would be out-of-line). Eventually I lost track of the band, and don’t even remember their name now.
No one ever seems to strain to hear my '93, that I bought new. I play with TI flat wounds and a 1.5 or 2mm thick pick. I seldom play with banjos or fiddles, mostly with too many guitars (2-4) and a bass in all acoustic jams once a month. For gigs it's never an issue because there are 2 piezos attached to the sound board.
You won't go wrong with a Montana Flatiron.
I had a hard time adjusting to lack of volume when I went on a two day store binge playing everything I could. They all had less output than what I've been playing. The tones were lovely. Especially the Ellis, which seemed to just give more when asked. A friend who plays out a lot said he loved my mandolin because he wasn't always leaning into it. Now it's a good sounding instrument, but not nearly as resonant as the average Collings or A Northfield Big Mon.
That Ellis had it all (sigh).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Potosimando
If you couldn't hear the mandolin on a recording it wasn't the mandolin or the players fault.
I played one of those once at a music store and well my opinion it wasn't the bomb, they had it overpriced and it wasn't set-up the best! This was in Erie PA in maybe 2000-01 and I decided to buy an F5-G Gibson? That thing was set up bad also but after some tweaking it had a thunderous chop! Another I wish I had back but can't keep em all on that voyage of tonal bliss-or otherwise known as MAS!
Curiosity bump... Looking at one for maybe $1900.
I have a Northfield NF-S currently. So wondering... if they grass will be greener. Thanks folks.
1900 seems like a decent price, can you play it first? From what I've heard, it won't be better than the F5s, just different. $0.2
Oh, and I think you mean you wonder if the grass will be bluer.... ;)